Nail art method and device

ABSTRACT

According to the present invention, a method and an apparatus therefor are provided that enable to automatically print a desired nail art picture on one&#39;s own fingernail surface. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: holding a nail surface ( 2 ) on a finger holder ( 9 ); selecting one or more nail art pictures from nail art pictures stored in a computer ( 4 ), as a printing pattern; moving either one or both of a nozzle unit ( 1 ) and the finger holder ( 9 ) by controlling of the computer ( 4 ); and printing the selected printing pattern on the nail surface ( 2 ) by having ink jetted ink from the nozzle unit ( 1 ) by controlling of the computer ( 4 ). The apparatus of the present invention comprises: a computer ( 4 ); a finger holder ( 9 ); a nozzle unit ( 1 ) controlled by the computer ( 4 ); and moving device ( 3 ) for moving either one or both of the nozzle unit ( 1 ) and the finger holder ( 9 ) controlled by the computer ( 4 ). It may be arranged that the computer ( 4 ) has a display ( 22 ) and data input device, such as a video movie camera ( 28 ), connected thereto, to input and display printing patterns and printing masks for limiting the printing areas of the printing patterns, edit either one or both of printing patterns and printing masks on the screen ( 23 ) of the display ( 22 ), display printing patterns with printing masks put thereon, on the nail surface of a nail image, and select and store a printing pattern with a printing mask(s) put thereon.

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/JP98/05538 which has an Internationalfiling date of Dec. 8, 1998, which designated the United States ofAmerica.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of, and an apparatus for,providing nail art by automatically drawing an object, such as apicture, on a nail surface.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

Hitherto, the nail art has been a kind of art where an expert draws anail art object, such as a picture, on a human nail surface, usingmanicure. It has been difficult for an amateur who is not a skilledexpert, to draw a desired object, such as a picture, on a nail surface,using manicure. Even to a skilled person, it has been not easy to draw anail art object, such as a nail art picture, on the nail of his/herright hand fingers in case of right-handed, or on the nail of his/herleft hand fingers in case of left-handed.

A method and apparatus are described in Japanese Patent UnexaminedPublication (Kokai) H6-70810 (1994), where an object, such as a nail artpicture, is printed on the surface of a thin sheet that is adherable toa human fingernail surface or the nail surface of an artificial nail,instead of drawing such nail art picture, directly on a human fingernailsurface, and the printed sheet is then cut to a 2-D shape fit to thenail surface.

However, there has been need for printing a nail art picture directly ona human fingernail surface or the nail surface of an artificial nail,instead of adhering a piece of sheet with a nail art picture printedthereon, to a human fingernail surface or the nail surface of anartificial nail.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and anapparatus therefor that enable to print a nail art work, such as adesired nail art picture on one's own fingernail surface by him/herself.These method and apparatus are also applicable to the nail surface of anartificial nail, as they are.

To attain the object, a method according to the present invention isprovided comprising the steps of holding at least one nail surface on afinger holder; selecting one ore more printing patterns from printingpatterns stored in control means; moving either one or both of printingmeans and the finger holder by means of moving means controlled by thecontrol means; and, concurrently, printing the selected printing patternon the one or more nail surfaces.

To apply this method, an apparatus according to the present invention isprovided comprising control means, a finger holder, printing means underthe control of the control means for printing a nail art picture on anail surface held by the finger holder, and moving means under thecontrol of the control means for moving either one or both of theprinting means and the finger holder. The nail surface, which a printingpattern is printed on, is a human fingernail surface or the nail surfaceof an artificial nail.

As the control means, a computer may be used equipped with a CPU, aninternal memory, interfaces, an external memory, and a keyboard. As theprinting means, a nozzle unit of an ink jet printer may be used. Thecontrol means moves the finger holder and the nozzle unit relative toeach other so that a selected printing pattern is printed on the nailsurface. The nozzle unit moving mechanism of an ink jet printer may beused as a part of the moving means.

The nozzle unit may employ the nozzle unit of a color ink jet printer,equipped with four or more ink jet nozzles, of colors including thethree primary colors and black, as it is. The nozzle unit jets color inkfrom the ink jet nozzles under the control of the computer.

It may be arranged that the control means stores various nail artpictures beforehand, the stored nail art pictures are printed on a sheetof paper beforehand, from which a desired nail art picture is enabled toselect by key operations.

When the moving means moves the nozzle unit only, the finger holderholds the nail surface which the nail art work is applied to, in apredetermined position. The moving means, controlled based on a programstored in the control means, moves the nozzle unit from a startingposition to a terminating position along a predetermined moving route.The control means jets color ink from the ink jet nozzles in a positionon the moving route where the nail art picture is printed, based on aprogram, for printing the nail art picture, stored in the control means.

The control means may be connected to display means to display printingpatterns on the screen of the display for selecting a printing patternfrom the displayed printing patterns.

The control means may be connected to data input means, such as a videomovie camera, an image scanner, and a digital still camera. Thereby,data, such as printing patterns, printing masks for limiting theprinting areas of the printing patterns, and a nail surface image, maybe inputted to the control means, where such data may be displayed onthe screen of the display means, and edited separately or incombination, for the edited data to be selected and stored for printing.

Preferably, the control means may have the capability to extract onlythe nail contour from the nail image, and thereby form, edit, and storeprinting masks with either the inside or outside of the nail contourselectively defined as either printing or trimming areas of the printingmasks; the capability to combine a plurality of printing masks; thecapability to select, edit and store printing masks while referring, onthe screen, the nail image to at least one printing mask storedbeforehand; the capability to display, edit, on the screen, and storecombined images formed by combining printing patterns onto printingmasks; the capability to select, on the screen, printing patterns to beprinted; the capability to display, edit, on the screen, and storecombined images formed by combining printing patterns with otherprinting patterns; and the capability to edit and store images picked upby the data input means, as printing patterns.

Furthermore, the control means, image pickup means, display means, andprinting means may be enabled to deal with a plurality of nail surfacesimultaneously. The control means may be equipped with a data correctingfunction for printing the printing patterns on a plurality of nailsurfaces.

The ink jet printer or jetting means, such as a spray, other than theink jet printer may be preferably arranged to jet either one or both ofa preprinting processing solution for forming a layer allowing inkdispersion, on the nail surface, and a postprinting processing solutionfor forming a layer protecting the print, on the nail surface.

As described above, by applying the nail art method of the presentinvention by means of the nail art apparatus of the present invention,an excellent effect is exhibited that a user is enabled to print adesired nail art picture on his/her own fingernail surface or the nailsurface of an artificial nail, by him/her-self.

The apparatus of the present invention equipped with image pickup means,display means, control means, and printing means, exhibits an excellenteffect that a user is enabled to input, form, edit, and store, on thespot, an object to be drawn on the nail surface, such as a picture, andprint the object, such as a picture, on his/her nail surface,accurately.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the movement of a nozzle unit relativeto a nail surface, according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control in a first embodiment ofthe apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view partly in section of the moving means shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an inward side view along arrow lines IV—IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing outward appearances of a secondembodiment;

FIG. 6. is a block diagram showing the control in a second embodiment ofthe apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the screen of a display exhibitingnail images;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the screen of a display exhibitingprinting masks;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the screen of a display exhibitingprinting patterns;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the screen of a display exhibitingvariations a printing mask;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the screen of a display exhibitingprinting patterns obtained by putting a printing mask on a nail surface;

FIG. 12 is a sectional side view of a finger holder pressing a fingeragainst a finger back stopper;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a finger holder holding both sides of afinger;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing jetting means for preprintingprocessing solution and postprinting processing solution; and

FIG. 15 is a schematic side view showing a driving mechanism for thejetting means.

BEST EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Hereunder, a first embodiment of the method and apparatus of the presentinvention is described, referring to the drawings attached hereto. FIG.1 shows a moving route of a nozzle unit 1, relative to a nail surface 2.The nozzle unit 1 moves from a starting point S in the direction Xrightward by a distance “a,” then in the direction Y upward by adistance “e,” next, in the direction X backward by a distance “a,” thenin the direction Y upward by a distance “e.” These back and forthmovements in the direction X and upward or forward movements in thedirection Y are repeated, whereby the nozzle unit 1 moves along apredetermined moving route L until it reaches a terminating point Tlocated in a position apart from the starting point S by a distance “b”in the direction Y. After reaching the terminating point T, the nozzleunit 1 returns to the starting point S in a straight line. One unitmoving distance “e” in the direction Y is equal to the pitch in thedirection Y of pixels formed on the nail surface by jetting color inkfrom a nozzle by means of a computer. The moving route L successivelypasses through all points corresponding to all pixels within arectangular moving area A having a width “a” in the direction X and awidth “b” in the direction Y. The width “a” in the direction X isgreater than the lateral width of the nail surface 2 which nail art isapplied to, and the width “b” in the direction Y is greater than thelongitudinal width of the nail surface 2. When the nail surface 2 isheld in a predetermined position, the nail surface 2 falls within themoving area A, and the longitudinal centerline of the nail surface 2coincides with the longitudinal centerline of the moving area A.

As shown in FIG. 2, in case only the nozzle unit 1 is moved, then, whenthe nail surface 2 is held in a predetermined position, a plurality ofnozzles 5 of the nozzle unit 1 are positioned opposite to the nailsurface 2. A keyboard is operated to cause a computer 4 to execute aprogram for selecting one nail art picture from various nail artpictures stored in the computer 4 beforehand, and printing that nail artpicture. When the program is executed, a moving means 3 for the nozzleunit 1 moves the nozzle unit 1 along the moving route L shown in FIG. 1,based on a control signal from the computer 4. When the nozzle unitreaches a point on the moving route L corresponding to a pixelconstituting the selected nail art picture, the computer 4 outputs acontrol signal to the nozzle unit 1 for causing to jet ink from an inkjet nozzle 5 of the color of that pixel. Based on the control signalfrom the computer 4, the nozzle unit 1 jets ink from a nozzle 5 of thecolor specified, onto the nail surface 2. When the nozzle unit 1 hasmoved from the starting point S to the terminating point T along themoving route L shown in FIG. 1, the printing of the nail art picture 7selected for the nail surface 2 has been completed.

As described above, application of a desired nail art picture to auser's own nail surface is enabled, only by holding the nail surface ofhis/her own finger in a predetermined position corresponding to themoving area of the nozzle unit moved by means of the computer, and byinputting instructions to the computer to select and print the desiredone of nail art pictures stored in the computer.

Although not shown, the finger may be placed on the finger holder movedby the computer, to move the nail surface in the direction Y of FIG. 1,where the nozzle unit is moved by the compute in the direction X of FIG.1, to apply a nail art picture. Furthermore, the nozzle unit may be heldstationary, where only the finger holder is moved both in the directionsX and Y, to apply a nail art picture.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a finger holder 9 is fixed to a frame 8. Thefinger holder has a fingernail tip stopper 10 for defining the positionof a fingernail tip, and a finger back stopper 11 for butting a fingerback against it. When placing a finger 20 on the finger holder 9,butting the fingernail tip against the fingernail tip stopper 10, andbutting the back of the finer against the finger back stopper 11, then,the nail surface 2 is held in a predetermined position. The fingerholders may be made ready in many variations to fit various sizes offingers, to enable to replace as required. A stationary frame 12 of amoving means 3 is fixed to the frame 8. A longitudinal screw shaft 13 issupported by the stationary frame 12, where the longitudinal screw shaft13 is directly coupled to a pulse motor 14. A longitudinal slider 15 isin screw engagement with the longitudinal screw shaft 13. A lateralframe 16 is formed in one body with the longitudinal slider 15, where alateral screw shaft 17 is supported by the lateral frame. The lateralscrew shaft 17 is directly coupled to a pulse motor 18. A lateral slider19 is in screw engagement with the lateral screw shaft 17, where anozzle unit 1 is fixed to the lateral slider 19.

The nozzle unit 1 is equipped with a plurality of nozzles 5, where colorink is jetted from the nozzles 5 under the control of a computer. Thenozzles 5 are opposite to the nail surface 2 held by the finger holder9. The pulse motors 14 and 18 turn under the control of the computer.When the pulse motor 14 turns, the nozzle unit moves in the longitudinaldirection. When the pulse motor 18 turns, the nozzle unit moves in thelateral direction. The moving distance of the nozzle unit by a one-pulseturning angle is a multiple of the longitudinal and lateral pitches ofthe printing pixels, respectively. The computer controls the turning ofthe pulse motors 14 and 18 so that the nozzle unit 1 moves along themoving route L shown in FIG. 1. The program for printing one of the nailart pictures stored in the computer controls the nozzle unit 1 so thatthe nozzles jet ink of colors required for forming the one nail artpicture when the nozzle unit 1 comes to a position on the moving routerequired for printing the one nail art picture. Under this control ofthe computer, when the nozzle unit 1 moves from the starting point S tothe terminating point T along the moving route L, the nozzle unit 1 jetsink of colors constituting pixels of a nail art picture from the nozzlesthereof at all the positions where all the pixels of the nail artpicture are to be printed, respectively. Therefore, when the nozzle unit1 moves from the starting point S to the terminating point T, andreturns to the starting point S, the printing of the nail art picturefor the nail surface 2 has been completed.

Not shown as an embodiment, both the nozzle unit and the finger holdermay be arranged to move. In this case, a moving means for the fingerholder and a moving means for the nozzle unit, bothcomputer-controllable, may be provided, where the finger holder is movedback and forth for one time in the direction Y, or the longitudinaldirection of the finger, while the nozzle unit is moved back and forthrepeatedly in the direction X, or the lateral direction of the finger.Furthermore, another combination may be arranged where he nozzle unit isstationary and only the finger holder is moved both in the directions Xand Y by a computer-controllable moving means for the finger holder.

As shown in FIG. 5, the apparatus according to a second embodiment isenclosed in a n enclosure 21, where a display 22, operating buttons 24,a joy stick 25, input keys 26, and an insertion opening 27 for insertinga finger to apply nail art to, are provided on the front side of theenclosure 21.

As shown in FIG. 6, a computer 4 is provided in the enclosure 21, thathas a memory required for conducting functions, such as image processingand printing control, where the display 22, operating buttons 24, a joystick 25, and input keys 26, are connected to the computer 4,respectively. In addition, video movie camera 28 for picking up objects,such as the finger tip and printing patterns, a serial ink jet printer29, and a moving means 3 for a nozzle unit 1, are connected to thecomputer 4, respectively. The nozzle unit 1 stores color ink havingcapability to print the printing patterns on a nail surface applied withthe nail surface preprinting processing. The nozzle unit 1 also may bearranged to store and discharge a preprinting processing solution forforming a layer allowing ink dispersion, and a postprinting processingsolution for forming a layer having water proofness and abrasionresistance. The preprinting processing solution is, for example, ahydrophilic resin solution with inorganic particles dispersed therein.The postprinting processing solution is, for example, a resin solutionor emulsion.

The computer 4 has various interfaces for connecting external equipment.Various external equipment, such as a card reader 32 for a digital stillcamera 31, an image scanner 33, a keyboard 6, and a disk drive 34 for afloppy disk 35, may be connected to the interfaces 30, as required.

Inside the enclosure 21, a finger holder for holding in a predeterminedposition, and defining the position of, the fingertip of a hand insertedfrom the insertion opening 27, and a moving means 3 for moving thenozzle unit 1 of the printer 29 relative to the fingertip nail surfacefixed to the finger holder, are provided. The finger holder and themoving means 3 used here are similar to the finger holder and the movingmeans 3 employed in the first embodiment.

Application of nail art in the second embodiment is proceeded in amanner described below.

A hand is inserted from the insertion opening 27 of the enclosure 21,with the fingertip of the hand then fixed to the finger holder, and theoperating buttons are operated, whereby the computer 4 causes the videomovie camera 28 to pick up the image of the fingertip nail surface, anddisplays this nail image and several different printing masks from manyprinting masks stored beforehand, on the screen 23 of the display 22, asshown in FIG. 7. These printing masks may be displayed in order offrequency or time of use. If required, the computer may be arranged toform a printing mask by extracting only the nail contour from a nailimage. The input keys 26 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are operated to select aprinting mask considered most suitable for the nail image, from theprinting masks displayed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the computer puts the selected printing mask on thenail image on the screen 23 of the display 22 in a predeterminedposition of the nail image, for example, a position where the center ofthe nail surface coincides with the center of the printing mask. In casethe printing mask is not suitable, a printing mask considered moresuitable is selected by operating the input keys.

As shown in FIG. 9, it may be arranged that several printing masks aredesignated as basic printing masks, and a basic printing mask selectedis varied to numerous variations on the screen 23 by operating the joystick 25 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, theposition for putting the printing mask may be moved in numerousdirections with the moving range finely adjusted, by using the joy stick25. The printing mask may be finalized by operating the operatingbuttons 24 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. These functions are all controlled bythe computer.

As shown in FIG. 11, the computer may display a nail image with aprinting mask put thereon, and several different printing patterns frommany printing patterns stored beforehand, on the screen 23 of thedisplay 22. The printing patterns represent objects, such as picturesand characters, to be printed on the nail surface. The computer displaysa combined image formed by putting the selected printing pattern on theprinting mask on the screen 23 of the display 22 in a predeterminedposition of the printing mask, for example, a position where the centerof the printing mask coincides with the center of the printing pattern.

In case the printing pattern is not suitable, a printing patternconsidered more suitable is selected by operating the input keys. Thisprinting pattern so selected may be edited by enlarging, reducing,rotating and/or color changing the selected printing pattern. Theprinting pattern may be finalized by operating the operating buttons.Also, a combined printing pattern may be displayed on the screen bycombining a printing pattern with another printing pattern. The printingmasks described above may be formed by combining different printingmasks. For example, a first printing pattern may be defined inside aselected mask, where a heart-shaped mask is put within the firstprinting pattern to clear an area corresponding to the heart shape fromthe first printing pattern for putting a second printing pattern withinthe area cleared by the heart-shaped mask. The combined images ofprinting masks and printing patterns, and the combined images ofdifferent printing masks, as described above, may be all editablesimilarly to the case of printing patterns described above. Thesefunctions are all controlled by the computer.

These printing masks, printing patterns, combined images of printingpatterns and printing masks, and combined images of different printingmasks, finalized as described above, may be stored in the computereither without attaching a password, or with a password attached byinputting the password by means of the input keys. The printing masks,printing patterns, and combined images are not retrievable withoutinputting the respective passwords.

The computer 4, shown in FIG. 6, while moving the nozzle unit 1 bydriving the moving means 3 of the printer 29, shown in FIG. 6, causescolor ink to jet from the nozzle unit 1 onto the nail surface 2, andthereby securely printing the finalized printing pattern on the nailsurface 2, to draw the nail art picture. Also, the computer 4 may becapable of causing a preprinting processing solution to be dischargedfrom the nozzle unit 1 onto the nail surface 2 to form a layer allowingink dispersion, and, after drawing the nail art picture, causing apostprinting processing solution to be discharged from the nozzle unit 1onto the nail surface 2 to form a layer protecting the print. Thus, whena layer allowing ink dispersion and a layer protecting the print areformed on the nail surface, before and after printing the nail artpicture, respectively, the color ink jetted is fixed on the nail surfacesecurely.

The printing on the nail surface is implemented within a printing areamade corresponding to the nail shape by introducing printing masks,whereby the area peripheral to the nail is not likely to be stained.

Various external equipment, such as a card reader 32 for a digital stillcamera 31, an image scanner 33, a keyboard 6, and a disk drive 34 for afloppy disk 35, may be connected to interfaces 30 of the computer 4,thereby enabling to input data, such as hand-written designs,photographs, and characters, via such external equipment. The inputteddata may be displayed on the screen 23 of the display 22 to be edited asprinting patterns and stored. These functions are all controlled by thecomputer 4.

Moreover, data, such as hand-written designs, photographs, and nail artpictures printed on nail surfaces, may be picked up as images by a videomovie camera 28 or a digital still camera 31, where these images may bedisplayed on the screen 23 of the display 22 to be edited as printingpatterns and stored. Characters, such as letters and numerals, may beinputted as printing patterns, via the input keys in the form of textdata. These functions are all controlled by the computer 4.

Furthermore, it may be arranged that not just a single fingertip but alla plurality of fingertips inserted from the insertion opening aredisplayed, as images, on the screen of the display, where identical ordifferent printing patterns may be simultaneously printed on theplurality of fingertips by controlling the video movie camera, displayand printer from the computer. In this case, the computer has a datacorrecting function for correcting data, such as the printing positions,and the longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the printing patterns,according to the conditions of these fingertips, thereby enabling toprint the most suitable printing patterns for the respective nailsurfaces.

As shown in FIG. 12, the finger holder 9 may have a finger support 36,not equipped with a fingernail tip stopper, movably provided, where thefinger support 36 is pressed by means of a spring 37 or an electricactuator, toward a finger back stopper 11 having a cross-section of a Uor L shape. With this arrangement, the back of the finger 20 placed onthe finger support 36 is pressed against the finger back stopper 11fixed to the finger holder 9, thereby keeping the distance between thenozzle unit 1 and the nail surface 2 constant.

As shown in FIG. 13, the finger holder 9 may have a finger side holderunit 38 movably provided, for holding the finger 20 from both the rightand left sides thereof with legs thereof astride the finger back stopper11, whereby the legs of the finger side holder unit 38 are pressed, bymeans of a spring 38 or an electric actuator, against the finger 20 heldtherebetween. By this, misalignment of the finger with the nozzle unitis prevented.

As shown in FIG. 14, a spray 40 for jetting a preprinting processingsolution and a spray 41 for jetting a postprinting processing solution,onto the nail surface 2, instead of the nozzle unit, may be provided. Inthis case, as shown in FIG. 15, the finger holder 9 may be providedswingably relative to the nozzle unit 1. When the finger holder 9swings, the nail surface 2 faces the sprays 40 and 41, while the nailsurface 2 faces the nozzle unit 1 when returns to the original position,as shown in chain lines. The sprays 40 and 41 are of a telescopic type,with the stationary side thereof attached to a portion of the frame 8.The respective moving sides of the sprays 40 and 41 are attached to therespective movable frames 43 thereof, with their respective compressionsprings 44 placed between the portion of the frame 8 and the movableframes 43. The movable frames 43 each respectively conduct areciprocating motion by rotation of their respective cams 42 eachcontaining a one-way clutch. Not shown, each cam is applied withrotational drive by a common, forward-reverse turning motor. Thecam-rotating motor may be either controlled by a computer that operatesthe printing, or controlled directly with operating buttons separatefrom that computer.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of providing nail art CHARACTERIZED INTHAT said method comprises the steps of: holding one ore more nailsurfaces (2) on a finger holder (9); selecting one ore more printingpatterns from printing patterns stored in control means (4); movingeither one or both of printing means (1) and said finger holder by meansof moving means (3) controlled by said control means; and concurrentlywith said moving step, printing said selected printing pattern on saidnail surface, by causing said printing means to perform said printing.2. A method of providing nail art according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED INTHAT: said control means has display means (22) connected thereto, fordisplaying said stored printing patterns on the screen (23) of saiddisplay means; and said selecting step includes selecting said one oremore printing pattern from said displayed printing patterns.
 3. A methodof providing nail art according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: saidcontrol means is connected to data input means (28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35),said data input means inputting therethrough and storing in said controlmeans either one or both of said printing patterns and printing masksfor limiting the printing areas of said printing patterns.
 4. A methodof providing nail art according to claim 3, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: bothof said printing patterns and said printing masks for limiting saidprinting areas of said printing patterns, are displayed on said screenof said display means, separately, or with said printing masks put onsaid printing patterns, and edited to be stored.
 5. A method ofproviding nail art according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: a nailimage inputted by image pickup means (28, 31) of said data input means,is displayed on said screen of said display means, and a printing mask,a printing pattern, or a printing pattern with a printing mask putthereon, is put on the nail surface portion of said nail image displayedon said screen to be displayed together on said screen.
 6. A method ofproviding nail art according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: saidprinting means applies either one or both of a preprinting processingsolution and a postprinting processing solution onto said nail surface.7. A method of providing nail art according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED INTHAT: jetting means, independent of said printing means, applies eitherone or both of a preprinting processing solution and a postprintingprocessing solution onto said nail surface.
 8. A method of providingnail art according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: said nail surfaceis the nail surface of a human finger tip.
 9. A method of providing nailart according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: said nail surface isthe nail surface of an artificial fingernail.
 10. An apparatus forproviding nail art CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said apparatus comprises: afinger holder (9) capable of holding a nail surface (2); control means(4) capable of storing printing patterns therein, and selecting one oremore printing pattern from said stored printing patterns; printing means(1), under the control of said control means, for printing said selectedprinting pattern on said nail surface; and moving means (3), under thecontrol of said control means, for moving either one or both of saidprinting means and said finger holder; said control means causing saidmoving means to move said finger holder and said printing means relativeto each other so that said selected printing pattern is printed on saidnail surface.
 11. An apparatus for providing nail art according to claim10, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: said control means has one or more data inputmeans (28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35) connected thereto, said data input meansbeing capable of inputting and storing said printing patterns andprinting masks for limiting the printing areas of said printingpatterns, in said control means.
 12. An apparatus for providing nail artaccording to claim 10, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: display means (22) isconnected to said control means, said display means being capable ofdisplaying and editing on the screen thereof said printing patterns andsaid printing masks inputted and stored in said control means, saiddisplay means being capable of causing said control means to store saidedited printing patterns.
 13. An apparatus for providing nail artaccording to claim 12, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: said data input means isan image pickup means (28, 31) capable of inputting a nail image.
 14. Anapparatus for providing nail art according to claim 13, CHARACTERIZED INTHAT: said display means is capable of displaying a printing patternformed by putting a printing mask on the nail surface portion of saidnail image.
 15. An apparatus for providing nail art according to claim10, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: said printing means is capable of dischargingeither one or both of a preprinting processing solution and apostprinting processing solution on said nail surface.
 16. An apparatusfor providing nail art according to claim 10, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT:jetting means (40, 41), independent of said printing means, is providedfor jetting either one or both of a preprinting processing solution anda postprinting processing solution on said nail surface.
 17. Anapparatus for providing nail art according to claim 10, CHARACTERIZED INTHAT: said finger holder has a finger support (36) movably provided withby means of a spring (37) or an actuator so that said finger holderholds a finger (20) resting on said finger support, against a fingerback stopper (11).
 18. An apparatus for providing nail art according toclaim 17, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT: said finger holder has a finger sideholder unit (38) for holding said finger (20) from both sides thereof,movably provided with by means of springs (39) or an actuator.
 19. Anapparatus for providing nail art according to claim 10, CHARACTERIZED INTHAT: said nail surface is the nail surface of a human finger tip. 20.An apparatus for providing nail art according to claim 10, CHARACTERIZEDIN THAT: said nail surface is the nail surface of an artificialfingernail.